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Construction of a self-supporting roof at the Stade Vélodrome soccer stadium in Marseille, France, entailed the use of Megashor towers to ensure the structure would be in place by 2014, according to this article. The futuristic roof will be reinforced with several sets of the towers to ensure that it can handle extreme vertical and horizontal loads. The roof is part of a project to overhaul the arena for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament.

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Robotic fabrication, software and engineering ingenuity could cut down on the amount of artificial materials used in construction. The HyparGate is a stone hyperbolic paraboloid that "draws from stereotomy to create connections between shape, structure and fabrication, and develop new ways of building self-supported vaulted morphologies through integrated parametric analysis," Lidija Grozdanic explains.

Examples from around the world highlight the flexibility and appeal of high-strength concrete, whether on its own or when structural steel is incorporated. New advances include interlocking floor and roof systems that feature polystyrene panels and steel beams for self-supporting joist and deck systems that provide energy efficiency. This piece offers photos of several concrete structures.

A solar-energy system on the roof of the Pfenning Logistics building in Germany consists of 33,096 solar photovoltaic panels, according to this article. The array spans more than 27 acres and could generate 8.1 megawatts, making it the largest solar roof system in the country. The installation is expected to generate 7,005 megawatt-hours of energy yearly.

U.S. housing prices rose 0.7% in June from May, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported. The year-on-year increase was 7.7%, and the gains are encouraging more owners to put their homes on the market. However, sales of new homes fell 13.4% in July, according to data released this morning. In addition, sales in June were revised downward.

Construction began on the Stade de Bordeaux, a 43,500-seat stadium in France that will have a "massive solar photovoltaic plant" that will power the stadium and the area around it. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the stadium will be open and airy to link the spectators to the green environment outside. A square canopy roof will cover the stadium and be supported by slim, white columns meant to evoke trees. The structure is expected to be finished in 2015.